The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-09-15

QUIRE,
Is governor VINO will give more attention to
their own affairs, than to imaginary troubles
in Georgia; who, instead of travelling to and
fro on the earth, preaching crusade of hate
and animosity against the south, will give at
tention to the affairs of his own Office, estab-
lish and keep business hours, demand and en-
force such economy in the several branches of
government that our expenses and appropria-
tions shall at least be kept within our reven-
ues instead of exceeding them from a half to
million dollars annually. 1t might be well
at this time for the governor and his personal
followers to listen to the advice of the greatest
leaders of his own party:
T, Garfield, when he said: "The man who
attempts to get up a political excitement on
the old sectional issue will find himself with
out party and without support"
Or to the words of Grant, when dying upon
Mount McGregor: al have witnessed since
my sickness, just what 1 have wished to see
ever since the war, harmony and good feeling
between the sections
Or to the still more recent utterance from
Conkling, when a few days ago he wrote to
the officers of reunion of soldiers of both
armies, which is to take place in few days,
at Evansville, Ind:
"My earnest sympathy and hope go to,
and go with every movement and idea hav-
ing for its real purpose to weld together all
sections and classes, and to make our country
throughout all its borders united, prosperous
and great. Could wish or act of mine de-
eide, every community and neighborhood in
all the land shall be crowned with the fulness
of peace and progress, much at the south
as at the east, the west or the north"
the advice of such men as these is fol-
lowed, or the wishes and interest of the in
telligent and fair-minded men of Ohio is re-
garded, we will have less about the war con-
tests of the past, and more about the peace
full problems of the present and future. This
contest can not be determined by such ques-
tions the candidates for Governor may
make or answer for each other. 1t will be
settled, however, by the answers the voters
shall make TO questions which are in issue in
the campaign. wish, therefore, to put this
QUESTION TO THE VOTERS OF OHIO:
Can you in justice to yourselves afford to
endorse the present State administration
There are in Ohio in round numbers,
10000 farmers and at least 600, 900 sepa-
rate dwellings. They are owned by an intel
ligent, industrious and sober-minded people.
Their energy and enterprise have consti-
taJ he Iot IL
been built the wealth and prosperity of our
State. The owners of these farms and
homes have always borne their full share of
the taxation necessary to defray the ex-
penses of our government. Ifthere has been
any inequality in taxation, they have paid
more than their share. Yet to provide for
the necessities of extravagant and excessive
appropriations, it was the purpose of this
administration to make these landowners
bear these additional burdens. On the 9th
of April, 1886, Governor Foraker sent
special message to the General Assembly, in
which will be found the following recon-
mendation: 1t is obvious that so long as
the present valuation of real estate stands,
great injustice will be done to all whose
property is approximately correctly valued,
and the State will continue unable to- meet
the public demands without embarrassment.
1t is recommended therefore, that revalua-
tion be had at once instead of waiting for the
next decennial /aluation in 1890" This
special message next contained a recommen-
dation that a permanent State Board of
ha ta5 Of
but eight members, who shall be appointed
and not elected. Within three days there
after, Mr.. Brown, Chairman of the House
Finance Committee, introduced in that body
two bills which are generally reported to
have been prepared in the Governors Office.
House Bills Nos. 5I7 and SIS. The object
of which was to engross upon the Statutes
of the State these recommendations contained
in the special message. House Bill SIS was
intended to secure the immediate re-valua-
ton of every farm and parcel of real
property in Ohio. That it was in
tended to secure an increased valuation, is
clearly evident from the following language
in the message. "This indicates that our
wants and our ability to meet them are trav-
cling in opposite directions and that unless
tie tar rate or the Oaluation Of property is in
creased the casual deficiencies will continue
and grow larger without power to provide for
them because of the extreme limitation allowed
by the Constitution having been reached
under the bill referred to, providing for the
issue and sale of the bonds of the State to
the amount of $3.50, 900 to meet the emer-
gency now upon us. The rate o. taxation
should not be increased at least mot until other
measures that seem more just have been
tried" The conclusion is irresistible, that il
is proposed to increase the valuation.
But 1 understand in the face of all this,
that the friends of Governor Foraker now
claim that it was his purpose to decrease in
stead of increasing the valuation upon prop
erty. Will it be claimed that the Chief Ex-
ecutive officer in Ohio, when his administra-
ton is forced to meet large deficiencies, pro-
posed to meet it by reducing the valuation
and keeping the rate of taxation the same2
Again, in the same message, it is said, 'sthat
the valuation of real estate rarely exceeds rs
per cent. and ranges downward from that
point as low as 25 per cent. of its true value"
He certainly would not have asked for
special valuation by special message, unless
he desired to change existing valuation at